“Argonauts” by The Little Ones- This is a band I’ve been patiently waiting for something from since I heard their jam, “Morning Tide”. And they delivered, which is one of the best feelings ever. Where as that song was pure surf guitar goodness, this track sounds akin to Cut Copy’s 80′s leaning on Zonoscope. I take that as a positive.

“Ramona” by Night Beds- Night Beds are kinda tough to classify, but there’s an earnestness to their songs that makes me want to hear more every time I listen to them. “Ramona” is the standout track from their very good album, Country Sleep. It hints at the harmonies and raw singing that really draw you through the entirety of the album. It’s a great album to experience a wide array of moods and for me, those are often the ones that get the most spins.

“Running for Cover” by Ivan & Alyosha- Wow, have I been blown away by these guys? Yes, I have. I have to thank my 2 Spotify songstresses, Liz & Chesley, for covertly listening to them and credit myself with deft stalking by latching on when this group appeared in both of their feeds in a day. I have been thoroughly enjoying them since. I’ve been deep on both of their albums since that day and considering faking a kickball injury to see their concert when the come to town in a couple weeks. Hope my coach isn’t reading this. Fans of Fruit Bats need apply here.

“San Francisco” by The Mowgli’s- One of the strangest band names I’ve ever come across and I still don’t really get it. But what I do get is that this band is like Grouplove’s soulmate and this song BEGS, BEGS, nay DEMANDS to be doo-doo-dooed and sung along with because it’s propulsive and once you know the words, you won’t think anything but “I should probably join in”. I think that’s their goal, if not F-, if so A+.

“Beggar’s Guild” by Roadkill Ghost Choir- Full disclosure, I was drawn to this band by their name. Full disclosure, this band might be amazing. It sounds like if My Morning Jacket went less rock and more folk/country. I’m a sucker for a banjo and narrative lyrics and the guys of RGC give these in equal parts on “Beggar’s Guild”. If you don’t like this track, I encourage you to check out the rest of their EP, which is full of the kind of distant, haunting folk rock that gets me going in the AM or the PM.

“Why Don’t We Do Something?” by Hey Geronimo!- Never has a band earned the exclamation point on the end of their name more emphatically than this collection of Aussie pop rockers. It is the damn bounciest thing to hit my ears in years and I can’t not think of Marty McFly and Johnny Be Good when they break into the quick piano/guitar bridge in this song. Enchantment DOWN Under the Sea. Nailed it.

“Coast to Coast” by Waxahatchee- I tried to not like this album because it’s really not my style. But then I kept hearing The Breeders and I remember growing up listening to “Last Splash” until I couldn’t stand it and this brought back all those memories. Also, Waxahatchee is fun to say.

“Open the Door” by The Men- I don’t have much experience with The Men. Reads weirder than I’d intended. I can’t decide if this sounds like The National after having too many drinks or Wilco rehearsing, but I love something about the informality and openness of the song. There’s craft in effortlessness and this song bleeds with it.

“The Woodpile” by Frightened Rabbit- Pedestrian Verse kind of snuck up on me honestly. I knew it was coming for forever and then it was here. And while I haven’t fallen in love with it like I did Midnight Organ Fight, I keep listening to this track and I think it might be one of their 5 best. Whereas the above track breathes effortlessness, Frightened Rabbit is one of the most effort-giving bands your ears will ever here. Maybe I’m colored by being in a sweaty church basement hearing them belt their Scottish brogues into sticky,  holy air, but I love hearing this band play and I don’t know if I’ve ever felt as ONE with a group as I did during that performance. Anyways, “The Woodpile” is a rager, get up and slamdance.

“Oak Tree” by Desert Noises- I guess it shouldn’t come as a surprise when I hear Paul Simon’s Graceland coming through from new bands, but it kinda is. And a pleasant one at that. The first time I ran through this album, it left no imprint. The more I listen to it, the more I think this is probably one of my favorite discoveries of the young year.

“Common Sentiments” by Typhoon- Stumbled upon this song right at the end of last year and it pops back into my rotation on a regular basis. When the lead singer belts “ohhhhh what am I waiting for: a spell to be cast or for it to be broken?” their spell was already working on me. I was sold and still am. They finished their full-length White Lighter recently so be on the lookout for it. God, I really love this song.

“Love To Get Used” by Matt Pond- Matt Pond dropped the PA from his name, he picked up some Hall & Oates tendencies and brought them forward into the future a bit and you’re now all the better for it. Absolutely cannot stop listening to this song. His album The Lives Inside The Lines In Your Hand is one of my extra happy surprises of this young year and this song is an excellent addition to his catalogue.

“Tree to Grow” by The Lone Bellow- While I may be predisposed to like this band because that lovely feminine voice went to my alma mater, I can honestly say I didn’t know her. What I do know is that this song builds slowly, teasing you, running away from you and back and then bursting with feeling and soul. It’ll fill that hollow you’ve got. I’m always excited when this song comes on and I can TRY to sing along with the breakout. I fail miserably, but the TRY is what matters.  I’m listening right now and it’s about to break out so I’m gonna give it my all.

What about you guys? What’s been spinning in your rotation recently?

Old Dogs

The Shins- Port of Morrow- One of my all-time favorite bands returns with a fantastic new record. They managed to grow their 60’s pop sound and fill it out more than ever. Fans complained that it wasn’t a Shins record, but those people should shut up and enjoy. Best tracks: “Simple Song”, “Fall of ‘82”, “The Rifle’s Spiral”

The Walkmen- Heaven- As I near the 30 mark, I’m growing more and more aware of it (Thanks girlfriend!). I guess one of the reasons I enjoyed this album is because it’s about growing old with grace kind of. The songs are more refined than ever and I’ve always had a soft spot for the sunny guitar riffs and on this album they reflect sunny memories. Best tracks: “Heaven”, “The Witch”, “We Can’t Be Beat”

Grizzly Bear- Shields- I don’t really know what it is about Grizzly Bear. Maybe it’s that their name in no explains their sound. The compositions and instrumentation provide a deep, dynamic canvas for the voice to wander to and fro. It’s the clinical production which marries perfectly with the sometimes calamitous sound and lyrics. Must hear. Best tracks: “Sleeping Ute”, “Yet Again”, “A Simple Answer”

Beach House- Bloom- The prettiest album of the year. If you’re on the ocean, or riding a horse, or gazing under the stars. Basically if you can’t get down with Victoria’s husky voice, you can’t get down at all. It’s lush and beautiful. Get some good headphones, take a seat outside, and get ready to love the world a little bit more. Best tracks: “Myth”, “On the Sea”, “Lazuli”

Fun.- Some Nights- Now I know many of you may have found this band this year, but I’ve been following these guys since they were in other bands. I listen to bands they don’t even exist yet! I’m just happy they are getting the credit and notice they deserve. Making the kind of pop anthems, I always knew they could, it’s been a great year to be a fan of Fun. One of the highlights of the entire year was a family dance party to “Some Nights,” something I’ll not soon forget. Best tracks: “We Are Young”, “Some Nights”, “Out on the Town”

New Tricks

Alex Winston- King Con- I’m a sucker for a sultry songstress and when I first heard Alex Winston’s voice, I was hooked. The songs are varied and interesting and FUN. The album as a whole is just a complete pleasure and when I saw her in concert, she was just as charming as her music. Swoon. Best tracks: “Velvet Elvis”, “Sister Wife”, “Fire Ant”

Lord Huron- Lonesome Dreams- A late-comer to my attention, but glad that it got here at all. Thanks to my Spotify buddy Liz Bureman for the recommendation on what has become a serious favorite. It’s americana meets african rhythms and it’s all based on a fake author’s fake books. Before I knew that, I thought this sounds like a bunch of stories and I want to live in them. I’d say this album has the best chance to have a BIG hit in the mainstream. Best tracks: “Lonesome Dreams”, “Time to Run”, “Brother”

Frank Ocean- channel ORANGE-  It’s weird how your mood can totally affect your take on things. I listened to this album when it came out and it was fine. Then I listened to it about halfway through November and fell head over heels. Frank Ocean made me believe in R&B again. Subversive, smart, and damn smooth. Best tracks: “Thinkin Bout You”, “Lost”, “Forrest Gump”

Japandroids- Celebration Rock- The way that The Walkmen album made me okay with being older, this album reminded me I’m still young. And that’s one of the most powerful things music can do, place us in a time and remind us who we are. If you can’t feel alive shouting “gimme that night you were already in bed, said fuck it; got up to drink with me instead”, then you’re already dead. Best Tracks: “The Nights of Wine and Roses”. “The House that Heaven Built”, “Younger Us”

Bombay Bicycle Club- A Different Kind of Fix- Ditto from above with Frank Ocean. Upon a closer listen, I became borderline obsessed with the song “Shuffle” and this jangly pop guitar group. My favorite record from across the pond this year (technically released last year, but PHYSICALLY released in the US this year), Bombay Bicycle Club could be going big places. Best tracks: “Shuffle”, “How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep”, “Your Eyes”

Father John Misty- Fear Fun- Breaking off from one of my favorite groups, Fleet Foxes, for his first solo album, J. Tillman made one of my favorite albums of the year. A percussionist by trade, this album hits heavy and slow with a beautiful sadness. It’s one of the most interesting sounding debuts in a long time, then again maybe that’s because it sounds like it’s from a long time AGO. Best tracks: “Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings”, “Funtimes in Babylon”, “I’m Writing a Novel”

Passion Pit- Gossamer- I knew of Passion Pit, but had never really listened to anything of theirs before this year. I was behind the times. This album grabbed me immediately with the lead single “Take a Walk.” I’m not the biggest fan of electronic music, so this came as a bit of a surprise for me, but most of the songs resonated with me and I love the sunny sound of the music coupled with the not-so-sunny lyrics. Best tracks: “Take a Walk”, “Constant Conversations”, “Carried Away”

Tame Impala- Lonerism- From down under, psych pop rock. I love the echo-y rever on the vocals, the fuzzy guitars dissolving over synths, it just makes a record that’s a real pleasure to hear. Fusing their 60s and 70s sensibilities with the exploratory sense of Columbus, the group takes songs in unlikely directions and creates some of the year’s biggest, grandest sounding tunes. And it keeps getting better. Best tracks: “Be Above It”, “Mind Mischief”, “Keep on Lying”

Very Honorable Mentions:
First Aid Kit The Lion’s Roar
The Avett Brothers The Carpenter
The Lumineers The Lumineers

So if I had to make a list of traits that I think of when Bond comes to mind it’d probably look something like this:

- The Opposite Sex- Ability to make the ladies swoon/Proficiency with the ladies
- Threat Level- Ability to cause chaos
- License to Kill- Willing to do whatever it takes
- Swashbucklery- Devil May Care Attitude, One Liners
- Villains- Level of Evil, Level of Intrigue, Realness

The longer I thought about it, the more I thought that there were 3 legitimate contenders: Batman, Jason Bourne, and John McClane. I think each has a claim to stake.

Batman

The Opposite Sex- Batman has a history of being rather successful with the ladies, even his female adversaries are a little attracted to him. He also has been taken advantage of by a few of them in his cinematic time. Get poison-lipped kisses with ‘em, can’t live without ‘em.

Threat Level- If there’s one thing Batman is even better at than JB, it might be this. Since he’s got that costume, he’s never afraid to poke his nose in where it doesn’t belong. His mask becomes a symbol that strikes fear into the hearts of evil before he even does anything. When the bat signal goes up, bad guys pee their pants.

License to Kill- BUT as we saw with the Joker in The Dark Knight, he’s got a CODE. He won’t kill and it’s a fatal weakness in his candidacy, I mean one of Bond’s movies literally has that title.

Swashbucklery- Here Bats takes his biggest hit, his attitude is nowhere near up to snuff with that of James Bond. While Craig’s roles have been darker and grittier and Director Sam Mendes even references Christopher Nolan’s Batman films as inspiration, Batman is OVER-THE-TOP serious and his one-liners lack panache.

Villains- The rogues’ gallery for Batman stands above all other comic book heroes. The collection of madmen, extraordinary mutants, and gangsters is unbelievable. The Joker is one of the scariest villains ever portrayed on screen, but you have to include Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy, neither of whom is realistic or even scary. A tough call here, since Batman’s world allows for such a heightened level of villainy. Also, most of the evil these baddies do is Gotham City-based, negative points for lack of scope. But just remember this?

Batman and James Bond really do share a lot of interesting traits and similarities. I didn’t even include the gadgets, which both have in spades. I think one of the critical failures in Batman’s candidacy would be the unrealistic nature of most of it.

Jason Bourne

The Opposite Sex- If there’s one thing Speed taught us, it’s that relationships started in intense circumstances never last, but it seemed like Jason and his lady, Marie seemed to have the  makings of a real thing. Until the second movie. Jason’s other lady friend was lost to him due to some serious mind melting. Very un-Bond.

Threat Level- A stone cold killer programmed by the government. Any time Bourne is on the loose, people in his way are in trouble. And he’s sly as a fox. At first, he doesn’t even know how dangerous he is. By the end of his story, we’re at a loss to quantify him as anything but Threat Level: MIDNIGHT.

License to Kill- 007 status for sure.

Swashbucklery- Due to his altered mental state, it’s tough for Bourne to have any fun and be suave. He’s a machine, but his human side creeps in.  Part of being a swashbuckler is being aware of how very badass you are. Part of Bourne’s journey is realizing that very scary potential. SWAG:

Villains- Hmmm. A weird one here because these aren’t traditional villains. It’s more like, the entire military industrial complex, but then he kinda volunteered. That being said, peeling away the layers of Treadstone was always very fun and his brethren from the program created some of the most memorable hand-to-hand scenes ever. I’ll never forget the pen or the book, and if you’ve seen these movies, you know what I mean.

Jason Bourne bears no small resemblance to James Bond, they even have the same initials, which is no coincidence. He lacks Bond’s attitude and swagger, but is arguably a more proficient killer. His villains are tough to really pin down, but exist in a wholly realized world that we can recognize. Jason Bourne is a serious badass. Ultimately, that’s his achilles heel, he’s TOO serious. He lacks the joie-de-kill that Bond possesses. Both of them know they have a burden, but Bond manages to find the inkling of knowing what he does is saving the world. Bourne’s mission is different and fairly gloomy.

John McClane

The Opposite Sex- He’s a one-woman man- HOLLY! The only one of our entrants with a family. There isn’t much of a love story in any of the Die Hard films, but we can say that Holly is his motivation in the first film and he turns their rocky marriage around, kind of. I can also say from personal experience that my girlfriend loves Bruce Willis.

Threat Level- Ask Nakatomi Plaza, Dulles Airport, NYC, and Washington, D.C. what John McClane can do. He’s a one man army of destruction and danger, taking on legions of terrorists while making a ruckus in the true American style.

License to Kill-  Whether it’s letting a nemesis crash to their doom, crashing a car into a helicopter, or just using an good old fashioned firearm, John McClane literally takes no prisoners. If you’ve got 7 minutes, just saying. He just uses a door once. Ridiculous.

Swashbucklery- YIPPIE. KI. YAY. MOTHER. F*****. Never doubts himself, always sends bad guys off with a classy line. He’s a true artist and couldn’t give a crap less. Oh and before I forget:

Villains- Oh they’re real and they’re spectacular. Granted, mostly greedy dudes, but some violent, hell-bent greedy dudes. Hans Gruber is one of the all-time best villains in movie history, for genius, accent, and being Alan Rickman.

Conclusion

Well, you may know where I stand here, but I think I’ve got to go with John McClane. While Batman and Jason Bourne are right there and certainly dabble in Bondian traits. John McClane takes those traits and puts an entirely American spin on them. He’s the quintessential American ideal of a hero to begin with, a tough-as-nails NYPD Detective. It’s almost cliche. His moxie, will, and ingenuity place him clearly in the top notch of all-time action heroes and give him the rightful title of the American James Bond.

Perched on the mighty Columbia River, Astoria, Oregon is a charming throwback. It’s got few traffic lights, boat launches, one main street, and the type of mom and pop operations in old storefronts that makes one nostalgic for a time they didn’t even experience. Cars stop on a dime for pedestrians and the homemade brews at Fort George Brewery are simple, clean, and delicious. A nice place to visit if you’re in the Pacific Northwest for sure.  But most importantly the hometown of The Goonies.

Astoria!

For me, this trip started over 10 years ago when my lifelong friend Ryan mentioned the wild idea of crossing the country to step foot in the Goondocks. It’s a movie we love and loved growing up. It’s fun, thrilling, and empowering for kids. Overall though, it’s a movie about friendship and having a sense of adventure. And at the end there’s just magical warmth of a victory over evil (both the Fratelli’s and Troy’s dad).

For some reason, the house holds magical tractor beam powers and has always remained a target destination for me. Even as Ryan and I grew older and apart (geographically), the Goondocks loomed. Ryan and I rarely see each other and only occasionally get to talk as we used to, but it’s okay, because we don’t have to. Every time we’re together, it’s the same as every other and no time seems to have passed. It’s pretty great.

So you can see that when I had the opportunity to visit Oregon with a few of my friends and girlfriend, Astoria naturally popped into my mind. And it was awesome.

Evidence of Awesomeness (might recognize that rock from Goonies too)

From Portland to Astoria, it’s a few hours guided on the last leg by the mighty Columbia River. And it IS mighty. For us, the first stop was lunch at Fort George Brewery. Once various fatty meats and tall brews were consumed, the adventure was afoot. Of course, our journey to the Goondocks was distinctly UN-Goonies. We had no treasure map, we had an iPhone GPS. We weren’t chased by any baddies. There were scant boobie traps. And nary an organ was keyed.

The BREWnies

But it still had that magical feeling. When we arrived, we were greeted by a sign welcoming Goonies. Luckily, we knew a few.

A Sign of Destiny!

After ascending the driveway, we were greeted by a site I’d seen probably a hundred times on television. You can feel the shockwave of Chunk’s Truffle Shuffle when you stand there. You can easily imagine Data toiling on his latest gadgets. I was slightly disappointed that the Rube Goldberg gate-opener was no longer in place, but the house appeared to be in great shape. It was like being to a place you’ve been 1000 times for the first time. And while I was there, I thought about Ryan and how much he would LOVE to make the trip. I posted about the visit on facebook and he commented simply and funnily that he now knew what jealousy felt like.

The Goondocks

It’s weird to think of a place from a movie that ostensibly I have no REAL ties to causing me to well up with memories and thoughts of a friend who I’m still in contact with and still have the pleasure to see from time to time. I was overjoyed to be there with the friends who were there, but being there made me wish Ryan was there so badly. Something about the nostalgia of watching that movie together, about plotting a cross-country trip to that very spot and not being there with him made me wistful. But most of all it reminded me that one of life’s greatest treasures is those people you call friends. And I didn’t even need a map.

Never Say Die.

These guys are already having a pretty good year after winning three Juno awards (the Canadian Grammys) for Single of the Year, New Artist of the Year, and Rock Album of the Year. Now they can tack on a fun, raucous, and rocking effort for 2012. That on the heels of being the only unsigned band to ever appear on the cover of Rolling Stone in 2011.

Producing on the album was done by Patrick Carney, who you may know better from his day job as drummer of The Black Keys. It shows. There’s some of his band’s feel to these songs, but the album’s strength lies in its diversity. From the relaxed rock of “Laid Back” to the bluesy “The Way It Is” and even back to personal favorite “Feeling Good” which has the anthemic quality demanding play in stadiums and amongst pictures of athletes excelling at their sport. Much as their video for single “The Way It Is” depicts:

The songs certainly give the feeling of a different era and their variety lends to an album easy to play from start to finish without getting bored. I only wish the album had been released before the summer was over, because these tunes go really well over an ice cold beverage in a hot sun and a grill. For fans of the producer’s music and neo-classic rock, The Sheepdogs self-titled does not disappoint. It’s out now on Atlantic Records and available on Spotify, iTunes and pretty much anywhere you can buy music.

Maybe it’s because I just had a birthday where those close to me reminded me I’m getting old and mind you I have no (known) children, but this lyric just hits me heavy. But it gives me hope that I’ll age quite as beautifully as the band who plays this song.

I’m happy to say that it’s the best film in the “Avengers” canon (so not including Spidey or X-Men, I think Spider-Man 2 and X2 were better, but not by much). This team of superheroes offers a unique challenge in balancing lots of egos- it’s a different dynamic than X-Men who are slowly worked into a team, the Avengers are thrown together quickly and have little time to meld. Joss Whedon and all of the actors do a great job of showcasing the issues that would arise with all of those egos under one roof.

What I was most impressed with is the pairings that Whedon chose to highlight, Bruce Banner (Hulk) and Tony Stark (Iron Man) are natural science nerds, so that one was easy. But showcasing Black Widow’s powers of interrogation versus Loki served as one of the best couplings of the film. And that was just the character stuff, during action sequences, pairs were grouped as you must, but there was always a feeling that the pairings worked and made sense and everyone got good screen time.

The insanity of the action just left a giant smile on my face, to say nothing of the well-timed and quick-witted comedy. Iron Man’s snark plays right into Whedon’s wheelhouse and he has some killer lines, but Thor, Captain America, and well, everyone else had some great zingers and one-liners. I haven’t laughed that much in ANY Marvel movie.

You’ve just got to see it- as dark, gritty, and real as Nolan’s Batman films are is as fun, audacious, and funny as this film is. It’s a great counterpoint to the serious tone of those films and it gives you a great mix of silver age comics and today. Enjoy this, it’s a rare blend of good film that pays service to several characters, bonds emotion, and keeps you rollicking on a 45-minute thrill ride to end the film. And at the end, treat yourself to some shwarma.

It’s always been a battle for me with female vocalists. Not that I don’t like them, but I tended to like soft, beautiful, angelic voices. Well as I’ve grown older, I don’t really care that much for them and pop vocalists’ songs don’t really do it for me at all.

My sister-in-law LOVES female vocalists and she likes similar music to me, so I keep my ear open to any new vocalist who comes along and seems interesting. Well, thanks again to Spotify, I heard the album King Con by Alex Winston. And it has been in super heavy rotation since then.

But her voice isn’t angelic (Sorry Alex!), it’s very cool though. Her songs are fun, poppy, but not traditionally so. Hard to explain I guess, but I love her.

Try out “Velvet Elvis”, “Sister Wife”, and “Fire Ant”. You’ll thank me later.

Watching this puts it immediately at the top of my Must See list for 2012. The look is fairly classic Ridley and I just can’t wait to see what this film has up its sleeve to make it worth his while to revisit his seminal earlier work. And just a quick note about Michael Fassbender. That guy rules.

Prometheus will be released nationwide June 8th of this year. I recommend getting your butt in one of those seats. And while you’re at it. Watch Alien as a primer.

Every week, the music service Spotify is changing my playlists, adding new songs and bands I’ve never heard of and giving me new favorites.

Through my Spotifian musical journeys, I’ve had friends suggest new bands and albums and sometimes I stumble on them myself. But I think it’s about time I start sharing them with everyone, because they are great. So I’ll be posting a new act I’ve found on Spotify pretty much every week to highlight some of the awesome talent that I’ve been exposed to (sounds grosser than it is) as a result of this awesome service.

First up Bears. Thanks to old friend Liz Bureman for this one! I like their sound, one word that always comes to mind when I hear them is that they sound SINCERE. It’s a jangly, inclusive feel. Sometimes a xylophone points to warmth, others it’s the several voices coming together. It’s just a nice album to hear, especially when I’m in a bad mood. The album is called Greater Lakes, and you can hear it here if you’re on Spotify.

Enjoy and check back every Monday for a new band to listen to!